Hardscape Project of a Retaining Wall in Newark, DE

Retaining Wall Block

Retaining walls, whether it's natural stone or manufactured retaining wall block systems, have a big part in hardscape design. Walls can solve small problems such as a small and short 8" tall dry stacked flagstone wall for a low border for the beds, or using 8"-12" size blocks for changes in grade more than 10 feet tall.

Whatever the materials you choose, one thing stays the same, "Your wall is only as good as the foundation it's built on". The facade of the wall is the decorative side that you see, but it's what is behind and underneath the wall that makes the system work without falling over or sinking.

We service Wilmington, Newark and Hockessin Delaware as well as Garnet Valley, West Chester, Chadds Ford and Kennett Square Pennsylvania and neighboring cities in DE, PA.

Stone steps and new retaining wall and covered (due to the season picture taken) swimming pool.

Building a Flagstone Wall

A customer in Newark, Delaware called us because they were having trouble with his previously built dry stack flagstone walls that surrounded the pool area and held up a landscape bed a few feet off the ground. They also had a huge wasp nest inside the soil of the wall right next to the pool and they couldn't get rid of it for too long until they came back.

Dry Stack Retaining Wall

We sat down and discussed how we could solve the problems of the dry stack walls that were coming apart. Upon further inspection, we noticed the reason they were having a bees nest behind the wall was because the company who built it prior, did not use any draining stone or geotextile fabric behind the walls. With no stone buffer to relieve the water pressure of the expanding clay, it was pushing the wall over. Also, with none of those basic wall building practices in place, every time it rained hard, all the mud would seep through the front of the wall and get in the pool water.

So there were good reasons to do some renovations with the walls that they already had. We would be removing the dry stack wall that was next to the pool and decided to go with a manufactured block to give it more of a clean look and it also doubles as a sitting wall.

Rebuilding the Retaining Wall Using Flagstone

With the amount of natural flagstone we removed from the old wall, we implemented a plan to rebuild the outer hardscape wall and use the leftover stone to build the outer wall a little bit higher so they could see the landscape bed from the pool area. So we were able to save the client about $1,200.00 by repurposing the leftover materials. The client didn't think of using the stone, but loved the idea once I said it would save him some money.

Their hardscape project was a complete success! We got rid of the bees and replaced it with a more functional wall. The newly rebuilt flagstone wall was tacked in place by using a flexible mortar and most importantly they were able to see the landscape beds that they did not have a view of because the wall was too low originally. Now they have beautiful perennials that bloom in and out through the summer.

If you live in the Newark, Delaware area be sure to give us a call to show what we can do for you.